Bicycle.



Patented Mar. l2, l90l. J. G. MOOMY.

BICYCLE.

(Application filed Mar. 7, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

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- Patented Mar. I2, I90]. J. G. MOOMY.

BICYCLE.

(Ap ilication filed Mar. '1, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

ATTORNEY.

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JOSEPH G. MOOMY, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent NO. 669,945, dated March 12,1901.

Application filed March 7, 1899. fierial No. 708,110- (No model.)

1b aZZ whom, 2Z2? may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. MOOMY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to bicycles; and it consists in certainimprovements in the construction thereof, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

More particularly, the invention relates to chainless or gearedbicycles.

The object-s of the invention are to provide means of adjusting thegears one to another, provide bearings for said gears whereby saidadjustment may be accomplished, brackets for carrying said bearingswhich will maintain the proper adjustment of the gears, and means fortransmitting the motion from the crankgears to the rear gears which willallow a slight deviation or strain on the frame without straining thebearings.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as follows:

Figure 1 shows a horizontal section through the central part of thecrank-hanger. Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section through the central partof the rear hub and rear gears. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of therear bracket.

A marks the crank-hanger; B, one of the side pieces of the frame; 0, thebracket containing the front side gear; D, the side of the frame havingthe gears; E, the rear bracket; F, a ring or strap secured to the rearbracket by means of which the bearing for the hubgear is retained, and Ga cap .for inclosing the rear gears and bearings.

Two cups H are pressed into the ends of the front hanger. A sleeve H isprovided with a cone h at the crank end. Ballsh are placed between thiscone and the cup H and form a bearing at the crank end. The sleeve H isscrew threaded at h h h A cone 77, is screwed on the screw-thread h soas to form a bearing with the ball h and cup H. A looknut h is screwedon the screw-thread h and locks the cone 77. in place. The axle I isprovidedwith screw-threads and screwed into the sleeve H at h and W. Alock-nut i is provided for locking the axle in the sleeve. The crank Imay be secured to the axle in any desired manner. The crank I at thegearend of the axle is supplied with the plates 1' and a hub '11, onwhich is placed the crankgear J. The gear is secured to the plate ibymeans of bolts 6 and nuts 1 The gear J meshes the side gear L, which hasthe squared opening Z therein, into which extends the squared end on ofthe shaft M. On the hub L of the gear L is a collar K, in which is agroove or ball-channel k A nut is screwed onto the hub L and screws thecollar K in place. A cup K is secured in the bracket 0 and has theball-bearing surface 70 thereon. A second cup is is screwed into the cupK, forming the fourth pointof hearing for the balls 70 A lock-nut Itlooks the cup 70 into place. It will readily be seen that this hearing,which contains but a single line of balls, will maintain the gear L inits proper position without the support of the shaft M, so that theshaft M may be loosely fitted in the opening Z. I

To adjust the gear J to and from the gear L, it is only necessary toloosen the lock-nut '5 and screw the axle in or out, as desired, andthen look it in the adjusted position by the nut 71 The bracket E hassecured in it a cup 0, which has a ball-bearing surface 0 thereon. Asecond cup 0 is screwed into the cup 0 and also has a ball-bearingsurface forming the second point of a fourth point of the bearing. Alock-nut o is provided for locking the cup 0 in the desired position.The side rear gear N has a hub N, extending into the bearing. On thishub is placed a collar 0, in which is a groove or ball-channel 0 A nut 0is screwed onto the hub and secures the collar 0 in place. The gear Nhas a squared opening 72 of sufficient size in crosssection to allow theintroduction of the rod M. The rod M is provided with a squared end m,which fits loosely in the opening m. A plug n is screwed into the end ofthe gear and secures the rod M in place without forming a rigidconnection between the rod M and the gear N.

The bracket E has a rearwardly-extending semicircular portion E. A cup Pis secured in this semicircular portion by means of a strap F. Thisstrap F is provided with ears f, which abut lugs e on the ring portion Eof the bracket. Screwsf are passed through the earsfinto the lugs e,secure the strap F in place, and clamp the cup P in the bracket. The cupP is provided with a ball-bearing surface 19, and a second cup 19' isscrewed into the cup P. A lock-nut p is screwed into the cup P and locksthe cup 19 in place. The hub-gear Q is screwed onto the extension of thehub R. A collar P, provided with a groove or ball-channelgfi, is securedin place on the hub by the gear Q. Balls 19 are arranged between thecollar P and the cups P and p and form the bearing for the hub-gear. Alock-nut q locks the gear in place on the hub. A cap G is arranged tofit over the gears and bearings and is secured to the bracket E throughthe medium of the ears 6 e and g g and screws g g and to the ring Fthrough the medium of the ears g placed opposite to the similar ears onthe ring, and the screws g This cap is perforated, and the axle S passesthrough it and is secured thereto by means of a nuts. A shoulder s onthe axle on the inside of the cap allows the nut s to be set against thecap. The opposite end of the axle S is screw-threaded, and on thisscrew-thread is screwed the cone S, which is provided with a knurledhead 3 by means of which it may be adjusted. The cups 9" are placed inthe hub, and the balls r form, with the cone S, the usual hearing. Thebracket 7) is formed with the usual slot. (Shown in dotted lines in Fig.8.) The ends of the axles pass through this slot, and the wholeis'secured in place by the nut 5 It will be readily seen that thebearings sustaining the forward and rearward gears areself-sustaining-that is, they will maintain the gears in perfectalinement' after the removal of the shaft M and irrespective of theshaft M, so that the shaft M may be loosely connected with them. By thiscon? struction if the frame becomes slightly bent the variation is takencare of by the looseness of the shaft without straining the bearings orinterfering with the adjustment of the gears. By forming the square endin the rear gear larger than the shaft the shaft may be passed throughthe rear gear into position and removed in like manner when desired. Thebracket E,with the strap F, forms a rigid support for the hearings onwhich the rear gear and the hub-gear are journaled, so that these gearsare by reason of theinclosed formation of the bearings maintained inperfect alinement and adjustment. By removing the cap G and strap F thebearing, with the cup P, is removed with the wheel and when replacedreturns to exactly the same position as when taken out. The gear Q maybe adjusted to and from the gear N by a screw-thread in the ring E andstrap F, in which the cup P may be turned. The clamping of the strap F,however, clamps the cup P in position. By this construction I form abearing having a single line of balls which sustain the gears in properadjustment irrespective of the drive-shafts or other bearings, and thusallow greater elasticity in the frame without interfering with theadjustment of the gears.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a bicycle, the combination with the frame;of a front and rear side gear; bearings for said gears arranged toretain said gears in adjustment independently of a shaft connecting saidgears; and a shaft connecting said gearsand 'arranged to transmit themotion of the front gear to the rear gearsaid shaft being arranged to bepassed through the rear gear into position without disturbing theadjustment of said gears.

2. In a bicycle,the combination of the gear, L, having the squaredopening, Z, therein; the shaft, M, having the square ends, m and m; thegear N, having the squared opening n, therein of sufficient size toallow the passage of the shaft 72 through said opening from the rear;and the plug n for holding the inserted shaft in position.

3. 'In a bicycle, the combination with the rigid bracket, E; of thestrap, F; a sleeve clamped by said strap; the hub-gear; a ballbearing insaidsleeve comprising a single line of balls; and means for adjustingsaid bearing insaid sleeve independently of any other hearing or thepresence of the sleeve in the frame.

4. In a bicycle, the combination ofthe bracket, E, having thesemicircular portion, E; the strap, F, secured to'the ring, E; a bearingpart secured by said strap and the cap, G,'secured to the bracket, E andthe ring, F.

5. In a bicycle, the combination of the bracket, E, having thesemicircular portion, E; the strap, 'F, secured to the semicircularportion, E; a bearing part secured by said portion the cap, G, securedto the bracket, E,

and strap, F; and the axle, S, having one end secured to the cap, G.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH G. MOOM-Y. Witnesses:

M. BIERY, H. O. LORD.-

